Asbury Theological Seminary 14th Convocation Address for the launch of Asbury Theological Seminary’s Centennial Text:  Matthew 9:37, 38 A desert road leading to Damascus; a quiet garden in the city of Milan; a stormy day in Stotternheim, Germany; three women conversing in a doorway in Bedford, England; a Moravian prayer meeting on Aldersgate St., London; […]

There are hundreds of UMC churches across the country who are currently seeking to disaffiliate with the increasingly wayward United Methodist Church.   This is the beginning of what will be a long, slow “adoptive curve” rather than any huge “split” which happens all at once.  It is important to remember that none of these departing […]

Asbury Theological Seminary 14th Convocation Address for the launch of Asbury Theological Seminary’s Centennial A desert road leading to Damascus; a quiet garden in the city of Milan; a stormy day in Stotternheim, Germany; three women conversing in a doorway in Bedford, England; a Moravian prayer meeting on Aldersgate St., London; riding to the Oxford […]

I began my ministry in the mountains of North Georgia.  I was the classic circuit riding preacher.  I had four churches which were scattered across the county.  I would drive one direction for an 8:30 service.  After that service was complete, I would jump in the car and drive across the county to arrive at […]

Our Jewish friends, dating back to the Mishnah, have a wonderful phrase “tikkun olam.” It means to “repair the world.”  The Jews understand that God’s covenant love, known as hesed, is the means through which God “repairs the world” (tikkun olam).  We all realize that our world is in a mess.  Our society is broken.  […]

Pastors need a lot of skills today, don’t they?  Pastors have always needed good theological and biblical sensibilities.  They have generally needed to be strong communicators, as well as be pastorally sensitive.  The sheer scope of a “day-in-the-life-of-a-pastor” can be overwhelming.   In a given day you may find yourself in a hospital praying for the […]

One of the privileges of my role as the President of Asbury Seminary is that I have the opportunity to travel all across the world and meet with a whole range of Methodist groups.  It has given me some sense of the hopes, dreams, and even fears, of the “people called Methodist.”  The United Methodist […]

This was my Presidential charge to our graduating Doctor of Ministry students who were honored in Estes Chapel on May 20, 2022. The Latin word, caputium, refers to what we call today an academic hood.  The term dates back to the 13th century and, originally, had no connection whatsoever to academic achievements.  It was, quite […]

The United Methodist Church has delayed the next General Conference to 2024.  This, in turn, has prompted the Global Methodist Church to announce that the new denomination will be officially launched on May 1, 2022.  What does this mean for those who are heralds of historic orthodoxy in the United Methodist Church?   First, why 2024 […]

This is the third and final part in this series on the restoration of celibacy and the role “Side B” Christians may play in its renewal.  We have established the biblical truth that both marriage and celibacy are meant to mirror the marriage of Christ and his church.  The reason Paul says celibacy is “better” […]